And then there were three. It has been six years since we have been graced with a ROYAL THUNDER album. Since 2017 and "Wick," there have been divorces, collapses, reunions, and, of course, rebuilding. If ROYAL THUNDER was a tarot card, they'd be The Tower, encompassing the full cycle of destruction from downfall to rebuild. Capturing this spirit is the appropriately named "Rebuilding the Mountain," released on June 16, 2023 via Spinefarm Records, marking the band's sixth album (3 EPs, 3 full lengths) and their first one recorded live in studio.

I wouldn't call ROYAL THUNDER a Metal band, though they are certainly Metal adjacent. Mlny Parsonz has guest appeared on several Two Minutes To Late Night (my fave is the live cover of "Believe") and, of course, no one would argue ROYAL THUNDER doesn't have the requisite grit and viscera. Despite their refusal to be pinned down by categories, what has always made the band distinct throughout their 13+ years is their willingness to expose their darker recesses, creating an authentic and emotional connection to their fans. Indeed, listening to ROYAL THUNDER can be a therapeutic experience.

If turmoil is the fuel for dirt real music, then ROYAL THUNDER rolled onto the track with a full tank this time around. When Mlny sings "Like crashing waves were all the thoughts I had to hide / Below and underneath" in "Now Here - No Where," most thoughtful listeners are likely to whisper a "damn," offer a nod, and take a drink. We've been there. We know the sound and motion of those waves.

Standout tracks are plentiful. I gravitate to "The Knife" for its too real confession of being alive-the lead solo isn't too shabby either; the cleverly titled "Now Here - No Where" with Mlny's exotic vocals as haunting as a siren; "My Ten" for its unrelenting urgency and for the Morrison-esque line "Burned my tomorrow yesterday"; and the cathartic "Fade" (see video link below).

ROYAL THUNDER, in all its iterations, has never flinched from giving reflections of lived lives. Despite the mayhem which led to its making, or maybe because of it, "Rebuilding the Mountain" slots right into place in the ROYAL THUNDER journey. In the major arcana, The Star follows The Tower, heralding light and hope. Not to read too much into this whole tarot analogy, but the last couplet of the final song ("Dead Star") reassures us that buried under all that dark matter a fire still burns: "Release your grip / Collect your dust / And fall away / She holds a fire deep inside and it only burns for me."